Posted on: Mon 24-03-2025

As the world marks World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, is the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease at risk? The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm, warning that drastic funding cuts could undo decades of progress in combating TB.

With TB still claiming over one million lives annually, could reduced investments lead to devastating consequences for families and communities worldwide? WHO estimates that since 2000, 79 million lives have been saved through global efforts—so what happens now if funding declines?

What Challenges Are Worsening the TB Crisis?

According to WHO, multiple factors are compounding the crisis:

• Rising drug resistance—especially in Europe—threatens treatment success.
• Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe put vulnerable populations at greater risk.
• Severe disruptions in high-burden countries are already being reported due to funding cuts.

With this year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” WHO is emphasizing the urgent need for action. But are global leaders stepping up to the challenge?

What Are the Consequences of Funding Cuts?

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the hard-won gains of the last 20 years are in jeopardy. But what exactly is at stake? Reports indicate that:

• 27 countries are experiencing major breakdowns in their TB response.
• Human resource shortages are disrupting TB service delivery.
• Delays in diagnostics and treatment could increase transmission.
• Essential TB drug supply chains are failing in at least nine countries.

Given that only 26% of the $22 billion needed for TB care in 2023 was available, can the world afford further cuts? WHO also highlights a severe underfunding in TB research, which received only one-fifth of its $5 billion target in 2022. Could this delay breakthroughs in diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines?

What Immediate Actions Are Needed?

In response, WHO and the Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have issued an urgent call for coordinated global efforts. Their key demands include:

1. Urgently addressing TB service disruptions to match the scale of the crisis.
2. Securing sustainable funding to maintain uninterrupted TB care.
3. Protecting access to life-saving TB drugs, diagnostics, and treatment.
4. Strengthening collaborations among governments, NGOs, donors, and civil society.
5. Enhancing early warning systems to monitor disruptions in real time.

With WHO’s TB Vaccine Accelerator Council working to develop new vaccines, will the lack of funding derail critical advancements?

Can Integrating TB into Primary Healthcare Offer a Solution?

Given growing resource constraints, WHO is pushing for the integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare. Could this strategy ensure more sustainable access to prevention, early detection, and treatment?

New WHO technical guidance emphasizes:

• Early diagnosis of TB and related conditions.
• Optimized management at first contact with healthcare providers.
• Better use of existing health systems to tackle shared risk factors, including overcrowding, tobacco use, undernutrition, and pollution.

What Can Be Done to Save Millions of Lives?

Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health, warns that failure to act swiftly could cost lives. But is there still time to reverse the trend?

With every $1 invested in TB prevention and treatment yielding an estimated $43 in economic returns, is underfunding TB response truly a cost the world can afford?

WHO is calling on governments, donors, communities, and individuals to play their part. Without immediate and coordinated global action, could the world see a resurgence of TB, undoing decades of progress and putting millions of lives at risk?

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